The study of divergent modes of expression and cultures serves to broaden students perspectives and deepen their understanding of both themselves and their world. Language students not only develop an oral and written command of the studied language but also gain a comprehensive knowledge of the civilizations and cultures of the countries where the language is spoken. Literary analysis develops the students critical faculties and sense of style as well. The department offers courses in Arabic, Chinese, French, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish, and literature courses conducted in English.

The Spanish courses of the Department of Modern Languages and Comparative Literature are designed to give students oral and written fluency in the language and to impart a knowledge of the literatures of Spain and Latin America. It is hoped that literary appreciation and critical methods will be developed and that the students cultural and intellectual vistas will be broadened.

Required Courses

All students who major in Spanish will take a minimum of 24 credits in this field. Students who have had three or more years of Spanish in high school or the equivalent may start their electives immediately. Those who are not sufficiently proficient in the aural-oral use of the language are advised to take SPA 4000 Advanced Oral Communication I early in their programs.

All students who major in Spanish are required to take the following courses:

When a students educational objectives cannot be fully attained solely by study within an existing department, program, or school, he or she is given the option of devising an ad hoc pattern of courses in an area of concentration of his or her own choosing. A student may embark upon an ad hoc major following preparation and acceptance of a proposal outlining the area of study, the desired outcomes, and the educational values of the program. The program must be approved by the chairpersons of the appropriate departments and the Office of the Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences.

Students interested in including courses in French, Spanish, or Italian as part of an arts and sciences ad hoc major should contact the Department of Modern Languages and Comparative Literature at 646-312-4210.

The Weissman School of Arts and Sciences ad hoc major requires 30–33 credits.

A minor consists of a minimum of 9 credits as described below, not including courses taken toward the fulfillment of the base curriculum.

Chinese

Students who choose to develop their intellectual abilities in Chinese may select two courses at the 3000-level or above from the Chinese section of the department's course offerings. Any 4000-level course in Chinese may serve as the capstone course for the minor.

Advanced training in francophone language and literature is increasingly necessary for business, teaching, translation, and other professional careers. Students who choose to develop their intellectual abilities in these areas may select two courses at the 3000-level or above from the French section of the department's offering. To complete their minors, students must enroll in an appropriate capstone course. Any 4000- or 5000-level course in French may serve as the capstone course for the minor.

Students who choose to develop their intellectual abilities in Hebrew language and literature may select two courses at the 3000-level or above from the Hebrew section of the department's course offerings. To complete their minors, they must enroll in an appropriate capstone course. All 4000-level offerings in the Department of Modern Languages and Comparative Literature or an independent studies course in Hebrew may serve as the capstone course for the minor.

Students who choose to develop their intellectual abilities in Italian language, literature, and culture may select two courses at the 3000-level or above from the Italian section of the department. To complete their minors, students must enroll in an appropriate capstone course. Any 4000- or 5000-level course in Italian may serve as the capstone course for the minor.

Students who choose to develop their intellectual abilities in Japanese may select two courses at the 3000-level or above from the Japanese section of the department's course offerings. Any 4000-level course in Japanese,
AAS 4905/
CMP 4905, or
AAS 4906/
CMP 4906 may serve as the capstone course for the minor.

Advanced training in Spanish language and literature is increasingly necessary for business, teaching, translation, and other professional careers. Students who choose to develop their intellectual abilities in these areas may select two courses at the 3000-level or above from the Spanish section of the department. To complete their minors, students must enroll in an appropriate capstone course. Any 4000- or 5000-level course in Spanish may serve as the capstone course for the minor.

Translation is the language of global communication, whether the text to be translated is a company's year-end report, an ad campaign, a politician's speech, a poem, or a novel. The interdisciplinary minor in Spanish-English Translation, suitable for both Arts and Sciences and Business majors, allows students with good skills in English and Spanish to perfect their knowledge of both languages and gain the ability to produce fluent, accurate, and effective translations between them. The minor is open to all students who have successfully completed a 4000-level Literature or Culture and Civilization course in Spanish. To complete the minor, students must take three courses: SPA 4003, Spanish-English Translation Workshop; the capstone, SPA 4004, Seminar in Translation: Spanish-English; and one 3000 or 4000-level course from the list of approved electives offered by the Departments of English, Communication Studies, or Modern Languages and Comparative Literature.

Program Prerequisite:

Any 4000-level course in Literature or Culture and Civilization offered by the MLCL Department's Spanish program.

The minor in comparative literature provides students with a thorough knowledge of several national literatures through comparative and interdisciplinary study. Students must complete three courses at the 3000 level or higher, at least one of which must be a capstone, 4000-level course. Students are also encouraged to pursue the study of a foreign language.

Majors in the Department of Modern Languages and Comparative Literature will be admitted to the honors program in their junior and senior years with the following provisions: that a letter of recommendation from the students sponsor be written and reviewed by an Honors Program Committee consisting of three members chosen by the chairperson of the department, that the student has at least 12 credits in modern languages, and that the student has at least a 3.4 average in his or her major and that his or her overall record is good.

Structure: Students must take courses 6001 and 6002 either consecutively or simultaneously. Course 6002 can be a continuation of 6001, or it can be in a related field. In this context, a related field may be construed as comparative literature or linguistics.

Honors Paper 60032 credits: The final outcome of courses 6001 and 6002 will be an honors paper written by the student and supervised by a sponsor. The honors paper, after being approved by the sponsor, will be read by two other members of the department who are to be appointed by an Honors Program Committee. The degree with honors will be awarded by the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences upon recommendation of the department, whose minimum standards for such recommendation will be the grade of A in all three courses.